Diameter is an authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA) protocol for computer networks, and is a successor to RADIUS. The Diameter base protocol is defined in IETF RFC 3588, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference herein in its entirety. Diameter communications may use a request-answer message exchange. Conventional Diameter answer message processing, including conventional relaying and proxying of answer messages, may be performed by a Diameter message routing agent. The base Diameter specification requires that answer message responses be routed over the same network path as the corresponding request message was forwarded. When a Diameter agent receives an answer message, it must route the message to the peer from which it received the corresponding request message. In order to ensure that each answer message is returned along the same path as its corresponding request message, the Diameter routing agent may maintain routing state information for each pending Diameter transaction (i.e., a Diameter request awaiting an answer).
As such, a Diameter routing agent is typically deployed in such a manner so as to permit the Diameter routing agent to see both the request and answer message portions of a Diameter transaction. However, the processing of answer messages is limited to their specific transactions, even though the answer messages may contain information that is usable for network management purposes. Accordingly, in light of these difficulties, a need exists for improved methods, systems, and computer readable media for improved network management in Diameter networks.